It’s the most wonderful time of the year, well, not quite, but it’s best to prepare in advance! So, what do you need to prepare for? It’s a bit early yet to prepare the Christmas pudding, however you can start ensuring that your house has optimum security.
Your home will soon start to fill up with Christmas presents so burglars will view houses as goldmines. And with the festive period being an especially popular time to visit friends and family, your house could be vacant for considerable time. What does this mean? Burglars have the perfect opportunity to intrude.
So, be sure to do the following:
- Install CCTV
Granted, this isn’t a cheap option, but it’s certainly worth every penny in the long run. If a burglar spots a security camera, he or she will instantly be put off from trying to break into your home.
There’s no easier way to improve the safety of your house than with security cameras. And not only is CCTV an obvious warning to burglars, these cameras are the 24hour eyes on your property, so you’ll instantly feel safer knowing that a device is constantly monitoring your home.
- Hide Away Valuables
This may seem obvious but it’s common for people to carelessly leave valuables lying around for snooping criminals to spot. All it takes is for you to leave an expensive item near a window and you’re basically advertising your most prized possessions to potential thieves.
Always hide valuables away. If you’ve bought Christmas presents, make sure they’re out of sight and therefore, out of mind. And if you’ve recently bought a TV or laptop around the merry season, don’t leave the boxes they are packaged in outside your property; you’re basically flaunting that your home has them inside.
- Avoid Leaving House Keys Outside
By leaving a spare house key under your door mat, behind a plant pot or anywhere else outside, you’re basically inviting a burglar into your home. How? Well, if your relatives are able to find it, an intruder can too.
If you do need to leave a key somewhere then leave it with a neighbour or friend that lives close by or alternatively, just get another key cut!
- Make Sure Your Alarm System is On
It’s all very well having a fancy alarm system installed but if it’s not on, it’s not useful in the slightest. Make it a habit to always turn on the alarm when you leave the house or at night time when you go up to bed. It doesn’t take long to turn on and it will discourage potential burglars.
If your alarm is near a front door that has a window, a burglar may be able to see your alarm box and be able to tell if it is activated. If it’s not, they may try their luck.
- Always Lock Doors and Windows
Did you know that 40% of household burglaries are not forced entries? This means that burglars have not even had to try hard to break in; they’ve simply entered properties via an open door or window.
Always check your house before you leave it to make sure that all the doors and windows are fully locked. It’s worth spending a few minutes doing this to avoid giving burglars an easy way into your home… as well as your Christmas present stash!
- Invest in Secure Doors and Windows
Locking doors and windows will most definitely help, however it’s not enough to completely protect your home against burglars. So, what can you do? Invest in a front door that is approved to the highest standard for security like all our doors here at Heath Windows.
And secure your home with our double glazing windows. They are harder to break than standard windows and they’re sealed tighter, which means they’re tricky to force open! Burglars will have their work cut out if they try to access your home via double glazing.
